Aaron and Emily: To Hell And Back Part 1 and 2
by LacytheRomanWerewolf
Summary: One hell of a case to pick Austin's first. See how it goes. HP JRo ReA MG


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Lacy here. I've reached the end of season four and I gotta say, it's about damn time. I never thought I'd get here. Season four has entirely too many episodes. Ok I'm done whining now. So as I mentioned before since the final two episodes of season four go together, they will be getting one story. To Hell...And Back, gotta say I had to rewatch these two episodes cause it's been a while. They're probably some of the first episodes I saw. And after rewatching them, I can remember why I had to. The whole thing, it's just wrong. And I certainly picked one hell of a case for Austin's first one, didn't I? Normally my stories start at the end of the episode but since the end of those episodes lead up to the season five premiere, I'm gonna do them like I've done all the other two part episodes. I'd say have fun but it really doesn't go here.

Also, yeah as if my beginning note isn't big enough, um I'll be taking the first two sections from my redo of Faceless, Nameless, the season five premiere and tacking them onto the end of this one. Just so the story ends the same way the episode did. Also remember that I've already posted the first two episodes of season five for the series so the next story up after this will be Reckoner.

Disclaimer: I've got a good number of stories ahead of me without Jack. If I owned it I wouldn't have to deal with that.

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~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Austin took a deep breath as she walked into the BAU bullpen. She had gotten a call from Reid saying that the team had a case and Hotch wanted her on it. It was technically her second case, though really the first was just going with Emily to Jacksonville for a consult and Austin wasn't afraid to admit she was a little nervous. Straightening her shirt for what felt like the millionth time, Austin made her way over to Reid's desk where the young genius was sitting.

"Hey, you made it." Reid said, standing to greet Austin.

Austin smiled. "I did. Now if I could get the butterflies in my stomach to go away, I'd be all set."

Reid smiled as well. "I know how you're feeling. I felt the same way before my first big case. But remember, you know how this works and you've been trained. You'll be fine."

Austin exhaled slowly. "Ok, I'm good."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Emily stood next to Dave and Hotch up on the catwalk. They were watching Reid and Austin talk. Austin had taken the desk right in front of Reid and diagonal from Emily's.

"Think she's ready?" Dave asked Hotch.

Hotch nodded. "Now that Reid got the nervous look off her face, I know she's ready."

Emily smiled. "Everyone's allowed to be nervous Aaron. You can't tell me you weren't before your first case."

Before Hotch could deny anything, Dave snorted.

"Nervous would have been nice." he said. "Aaron was down right terrified though he tried his hardest to hide it from everyone."

Emily bit her lip to keep from laughing as Hotch glared at him.

"Dave can you please go get JJ and Garcia so we can start the briefing?" Hotch asked before he decided to risk hitting his mentor and best friend.

Dave chuckled and headed off. Hotch looked at Emily.

"Not a word." Hotch said.

Emily smiled. "I wasn't going to say anything."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Austin flipped through the file on the jet. She looked at the information William had gathered on all the people he 'killed'. Hotch had just finished telling everyone where they were going and Austin was heading with Morgan and Emily to Detroit.

"It's like he cares about them." Austin said.

Hotch frowned. "What do you mean?"

Austin looked up from the file. "All the details he got, he wouldn't have done that if he was just going to kill them. Not if he doesn't have a specific type. He cares. I don't think he's the one who did this."

The others nodded, realizing Austin might be right.

"Austin, why don't you come with the rest of us instead." Hotch said. "Morgan, Emily, you two can handle Detroit alone right?"

The three nodded.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Hotch stood back and watched Austin as she read over the case file again. It had to have been the third time she'd done it since they landed.

"I don't think anything in there's going to change." Hotch said.

Austin smiled. "I'm just being thorough I guess. I don't want to mess up."

Hotch sat down beside Austin. "You're confident that he cares about these people right?" Austin nodded. "Then don't second guess that. If it feels right, then go with it. Even if it turns out to be wrong, never question your first instinct."

Austin closed the file. "Alright, thank you Hotch."

Hotch shook his head. "No thanks necessary. The whole team knows you can do this Austin. The first case is always the most nerve racking but it does get easier." he stood up. "Come on, time to talk to our unsub."

Austin stood and followed Hotch back to where William was being held.

"Now he's only going to talk to who he thinks is in charge." Hotch said. "So he'll probably direct all his questions and answers to me." he looked at Austin. "But I want you to ask and answer whatever you feel you can."

Taking a deep breath, Austin nodded and followed Hotch into the interrogation room. She stood behind Hotch as he introduced himself and then her to William, stating that they were from the BAU.

"You're here to analyze me." William said.

"No we're here to take your confession and find out where you dumped your victims." Hotch said. "Or are you wasting our time?"

Austin watched William's face as Hotch sat down and brought up William's past military history. William seemed to have a blank face up but to Austin and she knew Hotch's trained eyes, he seemed agitated, almost desperate to get some point across.

"Why should I?" William said referring to caring about the people on the street.

"See that's just it William," Austin said stepping forward. "we talked to the people on the street. You were out there every night, taking their pictures, checking off their names in a notebook."

William's eyes didn't stray from Hotch. "So?"

"That's more like a protector." Austin said. "Like someone in the army doing a bed check. You've gone through a lot to confess to a crime you didn't commit."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Dave stood on the other side of the glass with a smile. Jeff looked at him.

"What are you grinning at?" Jeff asked.

"Austin." Dave said. "She's doing really well for her first interrogation."

He knew she'd hold her own well out on the streets or when dealing with local LEOs but Dave thought for sure Austin would be at least a little shaky in her first interrogation. This was one of the few times where Dave didn't mind being proven wrong.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Reid stepped up beside Austin as she poured herself coffee.

"How'd it go?" Reid asked.

"A lot better then I thought it would." Austin admitted. "I was nervous going in but once Hotch started talking to him, I just followed his lead and it was like second nature."

Reid smiled. "Good I'm glad. Hotch and Dave are trying to get Hightower released to us so he can help in Detroit. Hotch wants you to go too."

Austin nodded. "Works for me. You staying here?"

"Yeah Hotch wants JJ, Dave and I to be ready if anyone else is missing." Reid said.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Under normal circumstances, Austin would have found it amusing that less then thirty second after they arrived, Emily had already taken up her place at Hotch's side. But given what they had to do, this was no time for laughing.

"Detective Benning, these are Agents Aaron Hotchner and Austin Hazel." Emily said.

"This is William Hightower." Hotch introduced the man between himself and Austin. "He's gonna help us on the ground. These are Agents Prentiss and Morgan and Detective Benning."

All four agents could feel the tension between Benning and William as the two exchanged brief words. Hotch and Morgan split the team, Morgan going with William and Benning and Hotch taking Emily and Austin. The two groups drove to Cass Corner but then went to different areas. Hotch stayed in the SUV while Austin and Emily got out to talk with the prostitutes.

"How are you handling things so far?" Emily asked Austin as they looked for someone to talk with.

"I'm doing ok." Austin said. "I'm pretty sure I memorized the whole case file before Hotch reminded me it wasn't going to change."

Emily smiled. "Yeah he's had to do that with me a time or two. Actually I think we've all done that before." she looked at the younger woman. "But you're holding together ok right? It's not too much?"

Austin shook her head. "No it's not too much. I mean I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing these victims faces in my dreams for a long time to come but I knew that would happen coming in."

Emily exhaled. "Yeah sadly dreams, or more often then not, nightmares are a part of this job. But you learn ways to handle them."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

As soon as the motel owner confirmed he'd seen Kelly, Hotch handed the picture to Austin she used the fax machine to send it back to the others in Canada. Then they all climbed back in their SUVs after checking and seeing the car the owner described was gone and headed for the border.

"Do you think we can get the thorough checks up in time?" Austin asked as Hotch floored it.

"We can only hope." Emily said.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Why would someone who graduated from medical school live on a farm?" Austin wondered out loud.

"Could be any number of reasons." Reid said. "Could be family property or it could just be where he takes his victims."

"Either way, we need to get there before he does to Kelly whatever it is he did to the others." Morgan said.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Morgan motioned for Austin to stay between himself and Dave as they crept closer to the barn. Morgan pulled the door open and the four agents and Jeff split into different directions of the barn, looking for any sign that the unsub or Kelly was there.

"Prentiss, Hazel," Morgan called. "check this out."

Austin and Emily stepped up to Morgan and saw all the medical supplies.

"We're in the right place." Emily said.

Austin turned her light to the table beside them.

"I'm guessing it's too much to hope that's pig's blood." she said.

Morgan and Emily turned and saw the metal table covered in blood. The three stood silent. There wasn't any words.

"Guys, find anything?" Dave asked coming over. He stopped short. "Oh damn."

Morgan saw the look on Austin's face. "Prentiss, you and Hazel go search around the grounds, see what you can find."

Emily also saw Austin's face and led the younger woman out of the barn. The second they stepped out, Austin's posture sagged.

"You need a minute?" Emily asked, placing a hand on Austin's back.

Austin nodded. "Yeah, just a minute and I'll be fine." she wiped a hand across her face. "That was,"

"Don't worry about it Austin." Emily said. "We all react differently."

"I'm not going to get used to things like that, am I?" Austin asked.

Emily shook her head. "No but that's a good thing. When you do start getting used to them, it's time to find a different job. What separates us from the people we put away is our ability to be effected by the things we see."

Austin stood up straight and took a deep breath. "Alright I'm ok."

Emily gave her a small smile. "Then let's find what we need to put this unsub away."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Emily and Austin spun towards the woods.

"Did you hear that?" Emily asked.

Austin nodded. "Sounded like a scream. But which way did it come from?"

"I couldn't tell." Emily said.

Morgan walked over. "Hey guys, what's this thing?"

The two women turned to the wooden box that Morgan was referring to.

"I don't know as much about pigs as you might think." Emily said.

Austin shined her light on the box. "Looks like what my grandfather kept horse feed in."

"Guys," Morgan said. "that's a hand print." he shined his light on the box cover. "And this looks like blood."

Morgan and Austin stood slightly to the side as Emily used her flashlight to open the box. Then the two shined their own lights inside.

"Oh my god." Morgan said before taking off for the house.

Austin let out a shaky breath. "I think we're looking at more then ten victims."

Emily flipped the other half of the lid back. "There's so many."

The two turned as Morgan returned with Reid, Hotch, Dave and Jeff. Hotch, Dave and Jeff looked into the box.

"These are," Jeff stopped. "They belong to victims?"

"Possibly." Emily said.

Jeff leaned on the box. "Why just the shoes? Where are the bodies?"

"I don't think there's going to be any bodies guys." Reid said by the pig pen. "Pigs are omnivores, they'll eat anything." he faced the team. "By anything I mean anything."

Everyone turned back to the shoes and felt their stomachs drop. Austin took a step back and felt Reid move right behind her, a gentle hand on her back.

"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth." he said quietly. "It'll help the feeling pass."

Austin did as Reid said and after a few minutes, she lost the feeling of wanting to be sick.

"One hell of a first case." Austin said.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Hotch followed Emily around the side of the house. He had noticed the haunted look that had settled in her eyes after they discovered the shoes. He stood back, giving her a minute to collect herself.

"You gonna be ok?" Hotch asked, his tone soft. A tone normally reserved for when they were off the clock.

Emily met Hotch's eyes. "This case just keeps getting worse and worse."

Hotch stepped up to Emily and took her hands in his own. Yes they were on a case but there were some times where Hotch threw the rules he and Emily had laid down out the window.

"I want you to lead the search with Austin in the woods." Hotch said. Emily went to protest. "No, it's not that I think you can't handle this but you both need a break from it. This is a lot for Austin to deal with on her first case and I don't want this to be the case that breaks you."

Emily sighed, knowing Hotch was right. If she was around and saw anything else that was as bad as what they had figured out, she wasn't sure she was coming back from it.

"Alright, we'll lead the search." Emily said.

Hotch brushed Emily's bangs aside and placed a kiss on her forehead.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Austin walked beside Emily as they worked with the local cops to search the woods around the farm.

"What are the chances we'll find Kelly alive?" Austin asked.

Emily moved some brush out of her way. "I'm hoping really good. But we won't know until we find her and Lucas."

"Prentiss, Hazel."

The two turned and saw Morgan joining them. They could tell from the look on his face that he also needed to get away from the farm.

"We found William's dog tags in with the shoes." Morgan said as he joined them.

Austin closed her eyes and sighed as Emily cursed.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Dave stepped outside onto the porch and found Hotch sitting on the steps, his head in his hands.

"Aaron, are you ok?" Dave asked sitting beside Hotch.

"Reid just asked me if I ever got the feeling that a case was going to end badly." Hotch said raising his head. "I didn't have the heart to tell him yeah I have. Right now, with this case."

Dave sighed. "I won't argue with that. I've had the same feeling since we got to this farm. But no matter what we're feeling, we can't stop until we either find Kelly alive or we find her body."

"I don't know about you but I'm shooting for alive." Hotch said.

Dave patted Hotch on the back. "Me too."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Austin and Emily pointed their weapons at the man about to strike Morgan.

"FBI." Emily said. "Do not move."

The man froze and all three could clearly see that he wasn't who they were looking for. The women put their weapons away and stood back so the man could get off Morgan then they helped Morgan off the ground. The man, Mr. Lang sat down a near by rock.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lang's question was aimed at Morgan.

"I'm sorry Mr. Lang." Morgan said while rubbing his arm.

"Can I go now?" Lang asked.

"Ah not yet sir." Emily said as she pulled the picture of Lucas from her pocket. "Have you seen this man?"

She held up the picture for Lang to see.

"That's Lucas Turner." Lang said.

"You know him." Austin said.

"Oh everybody knows him." Lang said. "He's a little soft in the head. You guys wait long enough, he'll wonder back home." he gave them all a look. "Can I go?"

"Yes sir," Emily said. "thank you."

Lang got up, tossed his sack over his shoulder and was off. Emily and Austin gave each other a look.

"What do you think is in that bag?" Emily asked as Morgan took up Lang's seat on the rock, still rubbing his arm.

"Pretty sure I don't want to know." Morgan said.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Are you sure?" Morgan said. "Alright, we'll meet them."

Austin and Emily watched Morgan hang up his cell.

"They've got a fix on Kelly." Morgan said. "She managed to get a call. I don't know but we have to meet the others by the road."

The three took off in the direction that Garcia had given Morgan. As they ran, Morgan ran over the phone call with Emily and Austin.

"So she was alive when she placed the call." Austin said.

"Now we just have to hope she'll be alive when we get to her." Emily said.

They got to the road just as Dave pulled the SUV to a stop. Dave, Hotch and Reid climbed out and Hotch pointed them in the correct direction.

"Should be right here." Hotch said. "This is where the signal came from."

The group looked around. All they saw was woods.

"There's nothing here." Morgan said.

Emily and Austin started calling out Kelly's name. Everyone split up, calling Kelly's name, hoping that they got an answer.

"Guys," Reid said, moving over to something. He started brushing leaves aside and uncovered a hatch.

Everyone pulled their guns and Hotch nodded for Reid to open the hatch. Hotch called Kelly's name down into the opening and everyone felt a small amount of relief settle over them as she answered back. Emily and Hotch went down first and the others could hear Hotch announcing them. The two got Kelly away from Lucas as officers and Morgan came down. Emily and Kelly came out of the opening first and Austin helped Kelly out. Hotch joined them and as they moved away, they heard gun fire and Morgan yelling.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

On the plane, not a single person spoke. There was nothing to say. Not after how everything ended. Yes Kelly got home safely but she'd never be the same again. William had given into anger and the need for revenge and Lucas was shot down for no reason. There was no joking between Morgan and Garcia, the two sat curled up on the couch seat. JJ and Dave were sitting next to each other after a phone call to Henry. Even if the small boy couldn't talk, just the sound of him made his parents happy. Reid and Austin sat across from Dave and JJ. Reid had been trying to read but couldn't focus. Austin just curled her legs under herself and used Reid's shoulder as a pillow. And at the back of the plane, Hotch and Emily sat. Normally they'd try to keep some kind of professional appearance but now Emily sat in Hotch's lap, her head resting on his shoulder, his arms tightly around Emily's waist.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Hotch grabbed his briefcase and stepped out of his office. He looked at the bullpen and found only Emily and Dave there. They were sitting at Emily's desk talking. Closing his office door, Hotch made his way down to them with every intention of getting himself and Emily out of the office for the weekend and away from the last case. Emily looked at Hotch as he joined them.

"You ready?" Hotch asked.

Emily nodded. "Yeah let's get out of here."

Hotch turned to Dave as Emily got her bag. "We'll see you on Monday."

Dave nodded his head towards Emily. "Take care of her. And yourself."

Emily stood beside Hotch as he nodded to Dave then held out his hand to Emily. With a smile, she took it and Dave watched the two walk to the elevator together.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Hotch used the hand holding Emily's to pull her against his side and wrap his arm around her waist. Emily sighed and tucked her head under Hotch's chin.

"You ok?" Hotch asked.

Emily gave a weak laugh. "Ah give me a couple of days, then ask me that."

Hotch smiled and pressed a kiss into Emily's hair. "I know what you mean." he ran his fingers lightly over Emily's side. "We'll go home, eat and then try to pretend this never happened."

"Sounds really good to me." Emily said.

Just before the elevator doors opened, the two separated, still trying to keep things as professional as they could at work. Though as they made their way to Hotch's car, taking one car to and from work might tip some people outside the team off. Both tossed their things in back and climbed in. The ride to Hotch's apartment was basically silent, Emily's left hand curled into Hotch's right. They arrived and made their way into the building. Hotch unlocked the door and stood back to let Emily in first. They went about their normal routine, taking off their guns, setting down their bags and while Emily pulled her hair into a ponytail, Hotch poured them both a drink. Finishing her hair, Emily walked to Hotch's side and took the glass Hotch offered. Hotch sighed and went to take a drink from his own glass when he stiffened. Emily noticed this and went to ask when she saw the reason for it. Coming around the corner was a masked man with a gun pointed directly at the two of them. As Hotch turned he had to resist the urge to move in front of Emily, not wanting whoever this was to use them against one another.

"You should have made a deal." the man said after cocking his gun.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

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This may very well be the longest story I've written so far for the series. I have no real end note. Huh kinda like what Hotch said at the end of the episode. Sometimes it just ends. Only my end comes without the gun shot. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading. Remember, I ready have the first two of season five up so Reckoner will be the next story up.

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